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Al-Zidi directs the formation of the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity and Oversight

On Saturday, Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi directed the formation of the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight and Recovery of Public Funds.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Media Office, received by Shafaq News Agency, indicated that Al-Zaydi chaired a special meeting regarding procedures for auditing government contracts, in the presence of the head of the Federal Board of Financial Control, the head of the Federal Integrity Commission, the head of the Public Prosecution, and the judge of the Karkh Investigation Court specializing in integrity cases.

He added that Al-Zaydi directed the formation of the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight and Recovery of Public Funds, headed by him and with the membership of the head of the Financial Control Bureau and the head of the Integrity Commission, to carry out oversight monitoring of ministries, non-ministerial entities and governorates on essential and important issues, in order to stop the waste of public funds and recover state funds, provided that the results of the council’s work are sent to the judiciary.

Al-Zaydi also directed, according to the statement, the need to verify the economic feasibility of projects and to have specialized subcommittees to audit government contracts in order to ensure their compliance with applicable laws and instructions.

The statement indicated that the meeting included a discussion on forming a central committee between the Financial Control Bureau, the Integrity Commission and the Ministry of Finance, to undertake the task of developing a mechanism for auditing and investigating government contracts before they are concluded, to ensure their compliance with the approved allocations.

Last Thursday, Al-Zaydi directed the regulatory bodies and the competent law enforcement authorities to initiate extensive investigation procedures regarding a number of important contracts concluded by ministries and government institutions, to ensure their compliance with laws and instructions and to protect public funds.

An official statement, received by Shafaq News Agency, stated that the directives included auditing those contracts, identifying shortcomings in them, and identifying those responsible for what was described as “injustice and abuse of public funds,” in addition to revealing the parties benefiting from them at the expense of the public interest.

Shafaq.com

Al-Jubouri: What happened in the session to grant confidence to Al-Zidi’s government was a conspiracy, and Al-Halbousi violated the law.

MP Iyad al-Jubouri, from the Azm Alliance, accused unnamed parties on Saturday of being behind what he described as a “conspiracy” to thwart the passage of a number of ministers during the vote on Ali al-Zidi’s government, stressing that the session’s management witnessed legal violations.

Al-Jubouri told Al-Maalomah News Agency, “What happened during the session to grant confidence to Ali Al-Zidi’s government was a conspiracy aimed at obstructing the passage of some ministers,” indicating that “the speed with which the results of the vote were announced and the use of the gavel by the Speaker of Parliament raised many questions.”

He added that “the Speaker of Parliament, Heba al-Halbousi, violated the law in the way he managed the confidence vote session,” stressing the need to “review the procedures that accompanied the session and hold those responsible for any legal violations accountable if they are proven.”

Al-Jubouri stressed that “respecting constitutional and legal procedures in managing parliamentary sessions is essential to ensuring the integrity of decisions issued and maintaining the integrity of the political process.”

Almaalomah.me

Al-Fayez sets a date for completing the cabinet.

The head of the “Design” coalition, Amer Al-Fayez, confirmed on Saturday that the completion of the ministerial cabinet of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zidi’s government will take place after the Eid Al-Adha holiday, noting that the decision will be made through an emergency session or immediately after the end of the parliamentary legislative holiday.

Al-Fayez told Al-Maalomah News Agency that “political forces and blocs are currently holding intensive internal meetings to discuss the names nominated to fill the remaining ministerial portfolios and to ensure the entitlement of the components and blocs.”

He added that “the vote on the candidates may be held in an emergency session called by the House of Representatives during its current legislative recess,” noting that “official meetings of the Coordination Framework forces are currently suspended, but will resume immediately after the Eid al-Adha holiday to finalize the matter.”

Almaalomah.me

MP: Power struggles within the Sunni bloc have widened the political divide

MP Kamel Al-Akeeli, from the Coordination Framework, confirmed on Saturday that one of the most prominent reasons for the disputes that accompanied the confidence vote session was due to the competition within the Sunni component regarding the distribution of positions and ministerial portfolios, noting that this conflict was directly reflected in the course of the session and the atmosphere of political consensus.

Al-Akeeli told Al-Maalouma that “the most prominent dispute was the competition between the Progress and Determination alliances regarding the distribution of positions and ministerial portfolios,” explaining that “this conflict was directly reflected in the process of passing some candidates within the House of Representatives, especially for the Ministries of Planning, Interior and Education.”

He added that “divisions within the Sunni bloc have brought back an atmosphere of tension to the political scene and have contributed to delaying the resolution of the remaining ministerial appointments.”

Al-Akeeli pointed out that “criticism directed at some political forces regarding the management of the negotiations file has escalated recently amid accusations of relying on temporary understandings and immediate deals instead of stable agreements,” explaining that “this approach has contributed to increasing the complexity of the political scene and weakening the chances of reaching a unified vision, especially with new leaders seeking to strengthen their influence and political presence, in contrast to the decline in the role of traditional figures who represented an influential weight in the political equation.”

Speaker of Parliament Haibat al-Halbousi faced numerous criticisms and accusations following his failure to manage the confidence vote session, amid objections from some political forces regarding the session’s management and the voting procedures that accompanied the vote of confidence for the cabinet members.

Almaalomah.me

Al-Zaydi and a delegation from Al-Sadr discuss the integration of Saraya Al-Salam into the security forces.

On Saturday, the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, received a delegation representing the leader of the Shiite National Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, in the presence of the Deputy Commander of Joint Operations and the personal secretary.

The Prime Minister’s Media Office stated in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that the meeting discussed the mechanism for implementing Al-Sadr’s initiative to integrate the Peace Brigades into the Iraqi security forces and hand over weapons to the state, and a committee was formed for this purpose.

According to the statement, Al-Zaydi reiterated his appreciation for this patriotic stance taken by Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr.

The committee appointed by the leader of the National Current, Muqtada al-Sadr, regarding the disengagement of the Peace Brigades, announced yesterday, Friday, that it held its first meeting to officially disengage the brigades.

According to the media office, in accordance with what was stated in Al-Sadr’s statement, in which he ordered the completion of the procedures for the separation of the military side of the Peace Brigades from the national Shiite movement within a maximum period of one week, the assigned committee began yesterday, Friday, in order to follow up on the completion of the procedures for the separation of the military side of the Peace Brigades from the national Shiite movement.

The leader of the Shiite national movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, announced last Wednesday the separation of the “Peace Brigades” from the movement and the joining of its members to the state, while calling on the “Popular Mobilization Forces” to separate from “partisan and sectarian” orders.

Al-Sadr said in a statement, which was received by Shafaq News Agency, that “the decision came from the general interest of the nation, and in line with the dangers surrounding the nation.”

He added that the civilian entities attached to the “Saraya” will move to Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous without any headquarters, weapons, uniforms, addresses, or anything else.

A government source confirmed last Thursday that the move by the leader of the Shiite National Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, came as a quick response to direct messages sent by Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi to the political forces that have armed wings, urging them to “disband them and integrate their members into official institutions.”

Shafaq.com

After his term ended, Rubio said: Tom Barrack will continue to play a leadership role in Iraq and Syria.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that US Ambassador Tom Barrack will continue to play a leading role in the Syria and Iraq files within President Donald Trump’s administration, despite the end of his term as special envoy to Syria.
Rubio said in a post on the X platform that “Ambassador Tom Barrack has played an invaluable role as our special envoy to Syria.”

He added that “this title will end, but he will continue to play a leading role in the Trump administration, in both Syria and Iraq, where his experience, relationships, and understanding of the America First agenda will continue to deliver gains on behalf of our great country.”

Barak, the US ambassador to Turkey, took over the role of special envoy to Syria in May 2025, in parallel with the Trump administration’s moves to reformulate its approach to the Syrian issue and lift sanctions on Damascus, in light of Turkey’s growing role in the Syrian issue.

Rubio’s statements give an official dimension to the broader role that Barak has begun to play practically in Iraq as well, after he emerged during the past period at the forefront of American communications with Baghdad, following the failure of Mark Savaya to officially assume the position of Special Envoy to Iraq.

Shafaq.com

The Al-Azm Alliance: The Ministries of Planning and Culture are our entitlement, and we will present our candidates after Eid.

Ghanem Al-Aifan, a leader in the Al-Azm Alliance, confirmed on Saturday that the Ministries of Planning and Culture are allocated to the alliance, noting that the alliance will submit the names of its candidates for the two ministries after the Eid al-Adha holiday.

Al-Aifan told Shafaq News Agency that “the Azm Alliance supports the government, and this support is not limited to a specific name, but rather there are many names and talents within the alliance that can be nominated for the vacant ministerial portfolios,” indicating that “changing the names of the candidates for the vacant ministerial portfolios is very possible.”

He continued: “We are waiting for the political agreements to come out after the Eid holiday, after which the Al-Azm Alliance will submit new names of candidates for the vacant ministerial portfolios.”

Al-Aifan stated that “the Ministries of Planning and Culture are the entitlement of the Al-Azm Alliance, and that the Alliance will submit the names of the candidates to the Prime Minister after a notification is issued from the leadership of the Coordination Framework, to hold an upcoming session to complete the voting on the vacant ministries.”

The Iraqi parliament voted on Thursday (May 14) to grant confidence to the Al-Zidi government and its ministerial program with 14 ministers, while the vote on the remaining 9 ministries was postponed until after the Eid al-Adha holiday due to the continuation of political disputes over the distribution of portfolios, amid reports of international warnings against the inclusion of armed factions in the new ministerial formation.

A few days ago, the head of the “Design” coalition, Amer Al-Fayez, confirmed that the completion of the cabinet of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zidi’s government would take place after the Eid holiday, either through an emergency session or after the end of the legislative recess of the House of Representatives.

Al-Fayez told Shafaq News Agency that the political forces and blocs are holding internal meetings to discuss the names nominated to fill the remaining positions within the blocs’ entitlement, indicating that the session to vote on the candidates may be held in an emergency session called for by the House of Representatives during the legislative recess.

Shafaq.com

“Integration and non-prosecution”: A crucial meeting between Al-Zaydi and security and faction leaders to “control weapons”.

A government source revealed on Saturday that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will hold an extensive meeting with security leaders and armed factions that have announced the handover of their weapons to the state, in order to establish mechanisms and a timeframe for integrating their members and dismantling their positions, in addition to discussing the “guarantees” that will be given to the factions.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “the meeting that al-Zaydi will hold will include leaders in the Ministries of Interior and Defense, and leaders of the factions that agreed to hand over their weapons.”

He added that “this file will be resolved through three stages, which will be discussed in the meeting. The first stage includes inventorying and listing the sites belonging to each faction or movement, the second stage involves evaluating and handing over weapons according to a time limit, and the third stage relates to integrating individuals, i.e., the members of the factions, and distributing them to the official security institutions or the Popular Mobilization Forces.”

He explained that “the third phase will be overseen by joint committees formed by representatives of those factions and their counterparts from the ministries, security and military agencies, under the supervision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” adding that “all of this will determine the issue of funding or financial allocation to implement the mechanisms for ending the factions’ file.”

He added that “the meeting will discuss in detail all aspects of the file, including the guarantees requested by some factions, such as the integration of everyone without exception, guaranteeing financial allocation (salaries for everyone), and guaranteeing immunity from prosecution.”

On Wednesday, the leader of the Shiite national movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, announced the disassociation from the Peace Brigades and their integration into the state. The move was welcomed by the newly formed Iraqi government headed by Ali Faleh al-Zaidi.

Most of the current armed factions trace their roots back to after 2003, when armed formations emerged in connection with the security vacuum that followed the American invasion of Iraq, and then expanded significantly after ISIS invaded large Iraqi cities in 2014 .

At that stage, the Peace Brigades were formed as a military force in response to al-Sadr’s call to protect holy sites, in parallel with the integration of other factions into the Popular Mobilization Forces, which later became an official umbrella for a large number of armed formations .

But this merger did not end the multiplicity of power centers, but rather established a complex scene that combines the state, factions, and political and partisan authorities, which made the “weapons control” file one of the most problematic files in Iraq .

Al-Sadr is seen as one of the most prominent players in this matter, as he previously founded the “Mahdi Army” after 2003, before later dissolving it and reconstituting the “Saraya al-Salam” forces in 2014 .

On the international front, the United States is intensifying its pressure on Baghdad, linking support for the Iraqi government to the removal of armed factions from state institutions .

Reports indicate that Washington is stipulating that armed factions cannot participate in the government unless they are disarmed, in addition to halting government funding for some formations, which further exacerbates the internal political situation .

Shafaq.com

Al-Gharibawi: It is truly astonishing that an oil-rich country does not own a single tanker for its exports!

Former member of the parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee, Bassem Al-Gharibawi, raised questions on Monday regarding Iraq’s lack of a maritime fleet for transporting and exporting oil, and the country’s complete dependence on foreign companies.

Al-Gharibawi told Al-Maalouma that “Iran allowed Iraq to export its oil,” but “the lack of oil tankers prevented this,” holding previous governments “responsible for the failure to manage the oil file and the failure to allocate or purchase tankers within a national fleet,” while adding that it is very strange for an oil-producing country not to own a single tanker to export its oil.

He added that “successive governments have not put the country’s interest among their priorities,” noting that “the Hormuz shock and the halt in exports revealed the extent of the shortcomings in preparing for such circumstances, or even in preparing alternative ways to export oil.”

The former MP continued, “Iraq lacks internal and external transport lines, oil transport and storage fleets, as well as a lack of interest in investing in oil outside the country, which reflects chaos in the management of the most important financial resource for the state.”

He pointed out that “Iraqi companies submitted proposals to develop production and raise its capacity in the Basra fields to 6 million barrels per day, but the government did not respond to them, and the reliance on foreign companies controlling the management of the fields remained.”

The recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting halt in oil exports have paralyzed nearly 80 percent of Iraq’s oil exports, a vital artery that provides more than 95 percent of the country’s revenue.

Almaalomah.me